Temple measure



Dec. 29, 1953 p, HUSTON 2,663,949

TEMPLE MEASURE Filed Aug. 2, 1948 INVENTOR flmw'al 1' Flash ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to measuring instruments or rules adapted for use by Opticians, optometrists and oculists, and more particularly to devices for measuring the temple pieces of spectacle or eyeglass frames.

The present invention is particularly adapted for use in determining the proper size or replacement temple pieces to be substituted for defective or injured temple pieces in eyeglass frames. Temple pieces in fitted eyeglass frames vary in size according to the head configuration of the person for whom the eyeglasses are designed, and

' in general correspond to the length of a line extending from the projected nose bridge of the user about the rear ofthe ear of the user. As this distance is subject to a rather wide range of variation, a wide range of temple piece sizes must be maintained by the optician for replacement and repair of defective eyeglass frames.

Due to the curvature of the ear engaging portion i of the temple piece," accurate measurement of the length from the hinge point to the tip of the ear engaging portion of the temple piece is exceedingly difiicult on a straight rule.

Heretofore, several types of curved rules have been provided for facilitating this temple piece measuring operation, each of which provides a curved frame about which the curved ear engaging portion of the temple piece must be fitted and manually held, and which are provided with an extension scale for indicating opposite the hinge point of the temple piece the length of the temple piece. These devices, however, have proved to be rather inconvenient to handle, as it is generally very difiicult to maintain the curved ear engaging portion of the temple piece disposed against and in exact conformity with the curved portion of the device while the straight portion of the temple piece is held against the fiat scale to determine the length of the temple piece. This is primarily due to the fact that there is no true;

standard curvature for the curved ear engaging portion of the temple piece, and the temple piece generally must be deformed and held in the deformed condition to correspond to the curvature of the measuring device.

An object of the present invention, therefor is the provision of a novel temple piece measuring device for eyeglass frames which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is adapted to readily conform the shape of the temple piece to the shape of the measuring device to facilitate measuring the length of the temple piece.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel temple piece device for eyeglass frames having improved means for effecting a measure of the distance from the hinge point of the temple piece to the tip of the curved ear engaging portion of the temple piece.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel temple piece measuring device for eyeglass frames adapted to maintain the temple piece in conformity with a measuring scale to permit the operator to readily measure the length of the temple piece with greater ease and less manual manipulation of the temple piece.

Other objects, advantages, and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein only a'preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a temple piece measuring device for eyeglass frames embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the improved measuring device; a

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the improved measuring device;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Figure 2, illustrating the cross sectional configuration of the curved portion of the instant device; and g Figure 5 is a transverse section taken along the lines 5-5 of Figure 2, illustrating the cross sectional configuration of the straight portion of the instant device bearing the measuring scale.

Referring to the drawing wherein like reference of a single strip of suitable material, such as sheet metal or plastic, having a straight fiat blade portion, indicated at H. The blade portion on its front surface, as viewed in Figure 2, carries a measuring scale, indicated at l2, in incheaetched or otherwise suitably impressed" on the surfaceof theblad e-II. V j Q;

Extendingfrom one end of the bla d e portion I'l adjacent the lower portion of the scale- I2 is a tubular curved portion l4 constituting a homer crook, having a central bore [5 extending throughout the length thereof and openingatits inner end at ltadjacent the blade II. The remote end of the bore l5 in the horn I4 is closed, is indicated at 'l! and forms a zero reference point for the calibrated scale of the blade .I I.

In the illustrated embodiment a metric scale, indicated at I8, is etched or suitably impressed on the rear surface, shown in Figure 3, of the blade H, starting from a zero reference point adjacent the outer tip of the blade I I.

The instant improved measuring device is to be used substantially as follows:

The improved measuring device may be conveniently employed for measuring the length of eyeglass frame templepieceseither before or after the temple piece is coupled to the remainder of the eyeglass frame; Tomeasure the length of the temple piece, the operator need only insert the tip of the curved ear engaging portionbf the temple pieceinto the opening 46 ofthe bore I5 in'the horn I4 and iorcethetcmple piece along the bore until the tip'oi the cur'vedportion thereof engages the closed end H of the horn I4. The

one end of the length of the material to receive and retain an ear engaging curved portion of an eyeglass'temple'piece of the conventional earencircling type and a fiat blade element formed 70f the other end or the material extending from vand in continuation of the horn element, said curvature of the horn portion It, asgillustrated straight .portion of the temple piece against the blade .Hl carrying thewcalibrated 'scale 12, the length of the-temple piececan be readiiyread ofi ofthescale I2 at the/hinge point of the temple piece. I

The metric scale FIB impressed on the rear suriace of the blade portion I I serves no purposein. connection with measurement or the eyeglass a frame temple piece, but merely provided as a convenience in measuring the interpupillary closure'memberat an end of said horn element remote from said blade element, the scale on said blade element having linear indications thereon corresponding to the linear. distance "from a zero reference'point coincident with said (closure member, said curved tubular horn elell ment' havinga large radius of curvature relative to-that'of the curved portion of eyeglass temple pieces to iric'tionally retain the temple piece in full inserted relation within the .horn element 7 with the tip of the ear engaging portion of the temple piece abutting said ciosure .member 'by deforming the curved portion of the temple piece relative to its normal curved state.

I rial having a curved tubular portion forming a distance of the person being fitted-with eyeglasses, Y

t and for making suchother'measurements as the eyeglass fitting arts are commonly recorded in metric units.

Withthis improvedmeasuring devicathevoperator is freed of any necessity -vofusing one 1.0f his hands tomaintain the curved ear: engaging portion of the temple piece in substantialcorrel'sponclence throughout with the curved portion fibrated scale-on the measuring device to facilitate .measuring the length of the device.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shownand described, it is distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but that various modifications .imay-bemmadein the. invention-without departing Y hornelement to receive and retain an ear engaging curved portion of an eyeglass temple piece of the conventional ear-encircling type and a flat colinear extension thereof forming awvblade element, said horn element havinga. bore extending therethroughlsubstantially coaxialwith said curved. tubular portion and havingabore clovsure at the end of.said curved tub'ularportion remote frornsaid blade element,wsaidibladeelemerit having aicalibrated scale disposedthereon indicatinglinear distance from a zero reference point coincident with said bore closure, whereby insertion of the curved ear engaging portion of a spectacle temple piece within said boreinengagement with said bore closure will disposethe end of the temple piece extending outwardly of said bore in alignment with a-scale indicating its rectilinear length equivalent, said curved tubular portion having a large radius of curvature relative to the curvatureof spectacle temple pieces to deform the curved portion of temple pieces inserted therein relative to their normal curved state for frictionally retaining the temple pieces full inserted relation therein.

DANIEL F. HUSTONJ -P,efrences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 987,315 Nero Mar. '21, 1911 1,480,584 Wilhite Jan. 15,1924 

